Chapter 10

10

Colver

I can't really say that I have a functional plan right now.

What was it, a couple hours ago I'm playing a hockey game. A pro hockey game. In front of a sold out arena. I'm picking fights, throwing punches, scoring goals. I'm dealing with dozens of sports reporters and podcasters and social media experts looking for a quick soundbite.

Now?

I'm in my truck putting distance between myself and the city.

In the rear-view mirror I can faintly see the last few peaks of the skyscrapers. Those faint, red blinking lights at the top of the buildings. If you time it out perfectly it's as though the lights are saying goodbye. Or good night.

Or… good luck.

Abrielle sits in the passenger seat. She's got a bag on her lap. She's clutching it as though it's full of money.

Maybe it is.

What the hell do I know about her and her situation…?

I drive a little bit more, letting my thoughts run wild as they need to.

One person. One name. One look at her.

So many memories.

Funny enough, it's not a lot of memories though.

It's not like Abrielle and I were forced to be in the same house for years or anything like that. In a rare time when we talked, agreed, laughed, and got along, we'd call each other sort-of-stepbrother and sort-of-stepsister .

Truthfully, it wasn't even that.

We both knew back then what the end result would be.

And we were both right.

Now, coming back to the present… I need some fucking answers. And I need them right now.

The road turns dark and quiet.

I have about two solid hours of driving like this.

This is a good drive for thinking. Which is why I do it alone.

"It's time to answer my questions," I finally say. "No bullshit."

I look at Abrielle and she's sleeping.

Hugging her bag, her head tilted to the right, out cold.

She's taking deep breaths. She's even purring a little.

Kitten.

I've got a long stretch of road ahead of me.

I reach with my right hand into the back seat of the truck and grab for a hoodie.

It's some dumb promotional hoodie with the team name - NY FROST - on it.

As I drive, I shake the hoodie open and place it on Abrielle.

Then I just drive.

In silence.

My kitten sleeping next to me.

I'm unable and refuse to stop thinking about our conversation.

What do you want in return?

I hear her voice speaking that in my head.

It makes my hands grip the steering wheel tighter.

Could it be any more obvious what I want in return?

I want the one thing I could never have…

I pull up to the cabin and leave the high beams on, along with my truck.

You never know what you'll find up here. Especially at night.

At least during the day you have sunlight.

I climb out of the truck and walk across the bright lights and to Abrielle's door.

I open the door slowly, knowing she's going to basically topple out into my arms.

I grit my teeth and curl my lip as I reach into the truck and touch her shoulder and back.

Abrielle falls, leans, and I slide her into my arms.

She moves a little.

"Colver?"

"You're a pain in the ass right now, kitten," I growl. "I did not sign up for any of this shit right now."

Abrielle doesn't respond to me.

Instead, she reaches with her left hand and touches my shoulder, then my neck.

If you asked me when I bought this cabin if the first woman I'd carry across the threshold would be Abrielle Mallory…

I don't even know.

I would have said you'd be better off draining your life savings and playing the lottery.

But here I am.

I walk up to the door.

I reach into my back pocket for the old key.

There are some modern amenities up here.

A few cameras on the outside of the property, allowing me to keep an eye on the place when I'm not here. Interior-wise I tried to keep the place old and beat up but, you know, it's nice to have nice things.

Updated lighting. A decent kitchen with updated appliances.

So when I turn on the lights, it's a dimmer switch for two lamps. One on each side of me on a small table. Just enough to illuminate a portion of the large living space.

There's a large couch in front of a stone fireplace.

The couch has a pull out bed…

That's where she's going to want to sleep.

I hate that I know that.

I don't even bother trying to open the couch into a bed.

I carry Abrielle to the couch and gently place her down.

She takes a deep breath and lets out a purring groan that hits me hard. My hands tighten into fists and I swallow hard.

On the back of the couch there's a thick blanket.

I pull that on top of Abrielle.

I walk to the bedroom and grab a few pillows and blankets.

Carefully, I slide a pillow under Abrielle's head.

She makes that groaning noise again and this time I grit my teeth so hard I feel like they're going to shatter.

Abrielle rolls to her right side, facing the back of the couch.

Her left hand is exposed, near her face.

I reach down and touch her hand.

I basically end up holding her hand, looking at the diamond ring on her finger.

I want to know what the fuck this really is about. What the fuck I've gotten myself into.

Now I need to walk away.

Back outside, I shut my truck off.

I use my phone's flashlight to shine a path for me.

As I enter the cabin again, a text comes through from Dax.

It's him with a neon-pink thong hanging from his mouth.

That's where I could be right now.

Instead…

I lock the cabin door and go to the kitchen to pour myself a drink.

I was eighteen years old when I told Abrielle she could keep in touch if she ever needed anything.

After that, I never heard from her again.

Until now.

She's a fucking storm, that's for sure.

She's like a tornado that just drops down without a damn warning.

And here I am, spreading a couple blankets on the hardwood floor. Tossing a few pillows down next.

I dim the lights to nothing more than a soft nightlight.

Sleep won't be my friend tonight.

I can live with that.

I'll get the answers I want in the morning.

I'll get anything and everything I want in the morning.

Abrielle is going to be reminded of who I am.

Years can go by all they want.

But some things will never fucking change.